WARRIORS coach Sunday Chidzambwa insists there is still plenty to play for in the African Nations Championships first round soccer qualifier despite watching his charges overcome Swaziland in a first leg encounter at the Somhlolo National Stadium here on Sunday.

Chidzambwa was satisfied with the Warriors' overall showing in their 2-1 triumph over the hosts that helped them take a giant step into the second round of the qualifying campaign for a place at the CHAN finals in Sudan next year.

Goals either side of half time by the Dynamos pair of midfielder Ashley Rambanapasi and striker Cuthbert Malajila gave the Warriors just the kind of start that the nation had been expecting.

Zimbabwe and Swaziland will clash in the reverse fixture at Rufaro on March 28 with the Warriors largely expected to complete a double over Sihlangu and advance to the next stage.

But Chidzambwa, a veteran of many battles on the continent, maintains the deal is not done yet and believes there is still plenty at stake before the Warriors can secure their second round passage.

Chidzambwa said he would want the Warriors to quickly forget their win at Somhlolo and focus on the reverse fixture in Harare.

"Yes it is nice to start of with a win. This was our mission . . . to try and get a result that would not put us under a lot of pressure in the return leg in Harare.

"But I must say it is not all over yet. There is a lot that still needs to be done and, who knows, Swaziland can come to Harare and surprise us and if we relax we will be shocked.

"We just have to keep strengthening our weak areas and also perfect our strong points," Chidzambwa said.

The Warriors coach said he had also been impressed by Swaziland's fighting spirit, arguing that "you cannot afford to relax against a team that keeps fighting for 90 minutes".

The Warriors coach said he had also noted that his Sihlangu counterpart Ephraim "Shakes" Mashaba had assembled a new team of enthusiastic young players that had a lot of potential.

"Like I said you never know in football, they might come and surprise us and beat us at home so we have to remain serious.

"They are not a bad side. I noticed they have changed the squad that came to Zimbabwe for the Cosafa Cup and they have a couple of good players in their new team.

"It is every coach's wish to get to the finals. Shakes (Mashaba) is trying to do that and I am trying to do the same so it is still game on," Chidzambwa said.

The Warriors mentor singled out the Mbabane Highlanders pair of centre striker Msizi Lukhele and midfielder Xolani Sibandze and Buffaloes defender Sifiso Dlamini as the players that had caught his eye.

Chidzambwa began the game with a five-man midfield of Ramson Zhuwawo, Tafadzwa Rusike, Richard Mteki, Ashley Rambanapasi and Elvis Meleka.

While they achieved their mission of controlling much of the game with a packed midfield, the Warriors still lacked the cutting edge with Nyasha Mushekwi playing as a lone striker.

Chidzambwa said he had tasked Soccer Star of the Year Zhuwawo to operate just behind Mushekwi and expressed satisfaction with the Gunners' midfielder's performance.

"We wanted to have five men in midfield from the start and control the midfield and Ramson is very good at joining the attack from deep in midfield and I thought he did that very well today.

"So when we were attacking he became our second striker".

Although they had control of the game, the Warriors still had a number of good chances that were not utilised and once Sihlangu forced their way back into contention, when drawing level through Mzwandile Ndzimandze soon after the break, the need for a natural second striker became apparent and Zhuwawo inevitably gave way to Malajila.

Suddenly Mushekwi also became alive as the duo combined to heap more pressure on the Sihlangu defence.

Rambanapasi is back to the kind of form that made him a household name at CAPS United.

He was, once again, outstanding for the Warriors with a mature performance in which he was at the hub of many of the visitors' moves.

The Warriors had a scare when right back Gilbert Mapemba was stretchered off with a shin injury in the 65th minute that had initially been thought to have been serious with an ambulance being summoned.

Mapemba was on the end of a nasty late tackle by Lukhele that earned the Sihlangu substitute striker a booking. But there was relief in the Warriors dressing room when team doctor Nick Munyonga announced later that the injury was not as bad as initially feared.

Mapemba is actually expected to be fit in time for CAPS United's Confederation Cup first round assignment against South Africa's Moroka Swallows at Rufaro on Sunday.

Despite the defeat and virtually being out of the CHAN qualifiers, Sihlangu players were putting on a brave face with their skipper and centre back Lwazi Maziya insisting "there is still some hope for us to turn the tables in Harare.

"We had some equal chances to score, we showed some good fighting spirit and we played as a unit so with luck we can go on and win in Harare," Maziya said.

The Warriors were expected to fly home last night.